Christopher Constantino joins Peter Reitzes to discuss disability rights and disability studies and how they may intersect with speech-language pathology and self help for people who stutter. During the second half of today’s episode, Mr. Constantino is asked about his research on passing as fluent (known to some as covert stuttering). Chris suggests that passing as fluent may be less an oppression of authenticity and more a power move to access able-bodied privilege. Mr. Constantino describes this analysis as “returning agency to the person.” Chris suggests that passing as fluent may be more of a “resistance” to dominant discourses than a repression of an authentic self.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter. Chris will be hosting some StutterTalk episodes this summer from the International Fluency Association’s World Congress in Portugal, July 6-8.

JACK MAYE is a Premier Field Engineer working for Microsoft Corporation. He has honorably served in the U.S. Air Force and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He has an amazing wife and two great kids.

Jeff Olson joins Britni Bicknaver to discuss his life with covert stuttering, waiting for stuttering to go away, turning 40 and deciding to make changes, quitting his job to work on stuttering and much more. Jeff and Britni discuss funny stuttering experiences, “tricks” they have used to avoid stuttering and vicarious stuttering feelings.

JEFF OLSON is a person who stutters and works as a Design Engineer in Portland, Oregon. He attended his first National Stuttering Association (NSA) annual conference in 2009 and has attended several annual conferences since then. He is a member of the NSA Portland chapter.

Emma Alpern joins Peter Reitzes to discuss stuttering openly, “giving up the fight against stuttering,” covert stuttering, passing as fluent, taking uncomfortable risks, stuttering less by stuttering more and much more.

EMMA ALPERN is a person who stutters and a graduate student studying American Literature at the University of Virginia. Emma went to college in New York and grew up in Philadelphia. Emma is interested in stuttering acceptance and options for stutterers beyond fluency. She blogs at stuttermore.tumblr.com.

NADIA ALOBAID is a 27 years-old person who stutters who was born in Kuwait where she lived for 13 years before moving to Eugene, Oregon in the United States. Nadia is currently a second year speech-language pathology graduate student at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Campbell joins Britni Bicknaver to discuss her life with covert stuttering, finding self help for people who stutter and competing in a speaking competition. Jennifer discusses having a grandmother who is also covert stutterer and shares that they have never talked about their stuttering.

Britni and Jennifer share covert stuttering stories. Jennifer discusses having a college roommate who was also a covert stutterer, coming out of her “stuttering closet,” speaking to family members and friends about stuttering, participating in a voluntary stuttering workshop, how tiring it is to be a covert stutterer and how she hopes one day to be an overt stutterer.

JENNIFER CAMPBELL is a PhD candidate in Engineering Physics at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Her research is in nano-electromechanical systems. She attended her first National Stuttering Association (NSA) conference in 2010 and it was a life-changing experience.

Sara MacIntyre is a person who stutters and a graduate student studying Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Bachelor degree in Finance from Lehigh University in 2009 and worked in Washington D.C. for an investment consulting firm prior to returning to school. Sara leads a support group for teens who stutter in Pittsburgh and is personally active with both the National Stuttering Association and FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter.

Matt Maxion joins Britni Bicknaver to discuss his life with covert stuttering, attending the National Stuttering Association’s convention for the first time and much more.

MATT MAXION, A California native and aspiring writer, is a senior at San Francisco State University studying journalism. He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has started stuttering at age five. He is now the online managing editor for SF State’s news publication, Golden Gate Xpress.

Matt wrote an article for his school newspaper titled “An SF State student’s solution to stuttering” that was discussed during this interview.

Peter Reitzes recently told the story of his life passing as fluent during StutterTalk episode 257. During today’s episode Peter joins Joel Korte to discuss speech therapy after years and years of covert stuttering.

PETER REITZES, MA CCC-SLP (pictured left with his son) is a person who stutters and a New York State licensed, ASHA Certified, Speech-Language Pathologist. During this episode Joel asks Peter about what he did once he decided that he no longer wanted to hide his stuttering. Peter discussed stuttering openly, pausing, voluntary stuttering, modification, facing feared sounds, meeting other people who stutter, talking to family and friends about stuttering, the awkwardness of passing as fluent and much more.

Sara MacIntyre joins Peter Reitzes to discuss her experience as a former covert stutterer. This is the second episode in a series focusing on people who stutter who have been able to pass as fluent. Sara discusses how she went from passing as a fluent speaker to stuttering openly. As Ms. MacIntyre explains during the show, she made the decision to stop living a secret life.

SARA MACINTYRE is a person who stutters and is currently a post- baccalaureate student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. Sara plans to begin graduate school in Speech-Language Pathology this fall. Ms. MacIntyre earned her Bachelor degree in Finance from Lehigh University in 2009 and worked in Washington D.C. for an investment consulting firm after graduation. She is an active member of her National Stuttering Association chapter in Pittsburgh.

About StutterTalk

StutterTalk® is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to talking openly about stuttering. StutterTalk is the first and longest running podcast on stuttering. Since 2007 we have published more than 600 podcasts which are heard in 180 countries.